‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Episode 5 review: “29 Neibolt Street”

Pennywise the Clown has arrived! After many weeks of teasers and hints, Derry’s infamous killer clown made its appearance on It: Welcome to Derry. And what an explosive arrival it is!

“29 Neibolt Street” is exactly the horror-filled, terror-inducing episode that It fans have been waiting for. The sewers, the dead bodies, the eerie laugh … it’s all trademarks of the scary story. Now, it’s all in one chapter to kick off a thrilling mid-season point.

A blast from a bloody past.

The first sign that something is amiss on “29 Neibolt Street” is the return of Matty. Did anyone else guess that it Matty  was Pennywise in disguise? After the bloody massacre at the movie theater, any survivor of the entity would be unheard of. So, for Matty to still be alive and kicking, the alarms would be flashing for any long-time It fans.

But for The Losers Club, it made sense why they would openly welcome him back without any doubts. The kids didn’t know any better; this is their first time dealing with the entity’s/Pennywise’s attacks – to them, survival could be possible. Saving themselves and their friend (‘Phil’) would be a top priority.

If this were a horror movie, the kids made two huge mistakes. The first being that they took the mysterious drugs from Lilly’s mom. We don’t exactly know what the pills were, but the effects of them add a cheeky comedic touch to what should’ve been a tense scene.

Their reactions to the drugs seemed light-hearted and loopy; something campy to set the scene. However, I’m glad It: Welcome to Derry made the choice to have the effects wear off quickly. It would’ve been too much as a distraction to have the kids be stuck in that state; we need them focused on the fear as they face Pennywise for the first time.

The second mistake was entering the sewer without any weapons. Seriously, nothing at all?! Going in with only the pills was already dangerous enough. That’s why we couldn’t trust Matty after he returned to the secret hideout. If he truly escaped Pennywise’s lair, he would’ve pushed to arm the group with weapons and firepower. Instead, he leads them to slaughter. Pennywise is a cunning and convincing monster.

Hiding in the darkness.

Compared to the original Losers Club, the military operation had a better handle on the situation. What sets them apart is the lack of information – they have no idea what chaos awaits them in the tunnels. Rose, Taniel, and Derry’s Indigenous community didn’t share any of the facts about Pennywise. All Leroy, Pauly, and the soldier’s efforts had hinged on the details from Taniel’s story and Hallorann’s sixth sense. So, their brute force and guns seems strong enough, to their knowledge.

But even after that, Pennywise’s mayhem is so deliciously fun! The appearance of a demonic Uncle Sam is a sinister and cheeky nod, a great trick to poke fun at the soldiers in his devilish way. Even Pennywise singing the nursery rhyme as he transforms in front of The Losers Club continues his bag of tricks.

A petty Pennywise is a fun Pennywise. It’s that type of comedic evil that the killer clown does so well. Hopefully, It: Welcome to Derry has more of this now that the group and military are aware of the entity’s clown persona. The arrival injected so much electricity and excitement into the story.

A fallen friend.

Were you sad to see Pauly go? Besides the massacre on the series premiere, Pauly is the next biggest recognizable character connected to the main cast. His character has been important to give Leroy a friend, as well as a trusted ally in the military storyline. Without him, he’ll have to deal with the fallout of the sewer murders and the impact of the failed mission.

Maybe the murder will fuel Leroy’s determination to get revenge? The entity/Pennywise is absolutely at fault for Pauly’s death. Leroy thought he had shot Charlotte, but that was only a mind game by Pennywise. The same can be said about him thinking Will was another trick; Pauly only jumped in to protect the kids. I have a feeling that Leroy may disobey General Shaw’s orders; instead of controlling it, he’ll try to kill the entity. If Pennywise goes after Will and the kids again, we could see a world where he goes for one big attack.

Dick Hallorann, on the other hand, could be in a world of his own torment. Whatever the entity/Pennywise unlocked in his mind, it seemed damaging enough to hinder their plans. For long-time Stephen King fans, this might be the power that he referred to as “the Shining” in The Shining. Seeing Pauly as the ghostly corpse was the first hint; Hallorann might start seeing new ghosts. And in a bloody town like Derry, Maine, those ghosts might be plenty … and they’ll probably stop him from helping the group.

The truth revealed.

Elsewhere in Derry, “29 Neibolt Street” also answers the long-awaited question of Hank’s alibi. It: Welcome to Derry confirms that Hank is having an affair with a married woman. Now, Madeleine Stowe’s appearance as Ingrid Kersh makes a lot of sense! Not only is her character having the affair, but her character is the same creepy apparition Pennywise uses to torment Beverly Marsh as an adult on It: Chapter Two. His persona had to come from somewhere – now we know where.

But the new question: will Charlotte and Ingrid be able to hide Hank from going to Shawshank Prison? He escaped the van crash and is now on the run, but the police will be looking for him. Even if Chief Bowers decides to drop the case against him, he’s still a fugitive on the run. Charlotte and Ingrid have been pulled into a tough case; the only way they’ll be safe is if Hank gets cleared sooner rather than later. Though we can safely guess it’s only going to get more dangerous from here on out.

Overall.

“29 Neibolt Street” is a jam-packed and exciting episode that blended the journey of It: Welcome to Derry with the thrills of the It movies. This chapter felt the closest to the energy of the movies. The tension ramps up, pushing the characters to face their biggest action yet.

But more importantly, every story progresses in a big positive step to drive the momentum forward. From Marge and Lilly becoming friends again, to Lilly discovering the meteorite dagger, “29 Neibolt Street” is an essential chapter that can’t be missed.

It: Welcome to Derry airs new episodes on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on HBO.